Warren Prosecutor To Probe Poison Stream Claim

December 14, 1990|by DENNIS KELLY, The Morning Call

The directors of Warren County's incinerator have gone further than squashing an environmental group's claims of stream contamination. They have called in the county prosecutor to investigate the group's testing methods.

Food & Water Inc., a Blairstown-based environmental group, says the county's Oxford Township incinerator is contaminating a stream on the adjacent Popinko farm with "extremely high levels of lead" and a high pH level.

The claim is based on tests performed in late October and again Dec. 3, said Michael Colby, a member of Food & Water.

Colby said he gathered water samples in an empty mayonnaise jar and sent it to The Citizen's Environmental Laboratory in Boston for testing.

Warren County Pollution Control Authority, upon hearing the results of the first test from Colby last week, said it immediately referred the matter to the state's Department of Environmental Protection and the county Health Department "to determine if a health emergency existed." The county took its own water tests on Dec. 6.

Food & Water's findings are incorrect and the water in the stream meets safe drinking water standards, the authority said at a press conference yesterday afternoon, and the environmentalists tampered with their samples by adding incinerator ash taken from a storage container near the stream.

The authority added that the lab used by Food & Water is "apparently not certified to do drinking water tests, either in New Jersey or in Massachusetts."

Food & Water wasted taxpayer money, the authority said, and diverted the authority's attention from more important matters.The authority is not filing charges, said James Brosious, authority attorney, and is asking Warren County Prosecutor Richard Hare to look into the matter.

"It is also a concern of the authority that those who have a political agenda not be permitted to make unfounded and irresponsible accusations in the future," said Brosious.

Hare appeared at the Dumont building after yesterday's press conference. "I've had general discussions (with county officials) but not specific discussions," he said, adding he will meet with county representatives to talk more about this today.

Colby says the samples were "absolutely not" tampered with and argues the county's tests were not done under the same conditions as his.

He says he took his samples after a rain storm and downstream from containers which hold ash from the incinerator.

"I was there when it rained," Colby said. "And a number of other people had seen the black leachate running through the containers, through the farm and into the stream." Colby says the county tested during a "dry period" and after relocating the ash containers.

About the prosecutor's involvement and the tampering allegation, Colby said, "It's very disturbing. This whole affair has just been amazing to me. I'm an average citizen. I thought and still think there is a problem with this incinerator."

Colby says he asked the county to test and it refused. "I was forced to do what any average citizen would do and send it to a laboratory and the laboratory sent me the results. What was I supposed to do? I took the results to the press and to them to let my elected officials know that there could be a problem."

He also says it is ironic the county moved the containers two days after he told them of the leachate while making his findings public.

"After more than 2-1/2 years at that location, suddenly they were rushed behind closed doors." He later said it will not be possible to replicate his tests now that the containers have been moved.

Asked if the containers were moved out of concern for leakage, authority Director Bart Carhart said, "No, that's not why they were moved; they were moved for security reasons and liability reasons" after receiving reports of private citizens climbing on them. "We were concerned for their safety."

Carhart said the containers were not leaking "to my knowledge." He said the containers are lined and covered. "Even in downpours I couldn't see how water could get in and leak out containing ash." The containers are now behind a locked gate, he said.

More than being incorrect, if the water's pH level was the 12.01 Colby claims, "It would kill everthing in its path," said Broscious. "It would be equivalent to an acid that could eat through a table. From what we're told it is not possible to have that high a reading and still have everything undisturbed."

Cadmium and chromium were also found in Colby's sample. The county's test also found those metals as well as arsenic, copper, nickel and zinc, but the levels were all below federal drinking water standards.

"Heavy metals are carcinogens," Colby said. "They lead to liver damage and kidney problems. Lead is extremely harmful to the development of children, leading to mental deformities and behavioral disturbances."

He says his "agenda" is to work with elected officials and citizens to try to protect the health and well-being of the public.

"I don't understand where their anger comes into this. I'm a normal citizen trying to protect my fellow residents," Colby said. "Why is there such animosity? I want to work with them. I want to see this situation settled appropriately and quickly."